TERRITORY page 3
He noted that UBS held the
nership deal for several months,
account
in which Hitler himself
but last week faxed a brief state-
ment acknowledging its purchase deposited royalties from his au-
of property from UBS and UBS's tobiography, Mein Kampf, al-
participation in Holocaust com- though UBS denies it.
However, Mr. Steinberg said,
pensation and investigative ef-
forts. "We are confident that you "We are not advocating a boycott
will fairly represent [UBS] in of UBS as of yet, because we do
your article," the statement read. want to recognize that Swiss au-
"Your readers deserve to have thorities have taken positive
steps."
and to consider these facts."
The Great Lakes Crossing
Center, a scaled-down version of
what Westerri Development
planned for the site, was ap-
proved by the city of Auburn Hills
in April. The 1.7 million-square-
foot mall, which will feature more
than 200 department stores and
manufacturers outlets, restau-
— Elan Steinberg,
rants and "entertainment
venues," is scheduled to open in
World Jewish Congress
late 1998.
This month, UBS, the largest
bank in Switzerland, was exco-
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
riated by the U.S. Senate Bank-
ing, Housing and Urban in Los Angeles has also spear-
Development Committee for fir- headed a class action lawsuit
ing security guard Christophe against UBS and two other Swiss
Meili after he rescued documents banks to recover assets that be-
from a bank shredder on Jan. 8 longed to European Jews before
and turned them over to Swiss the war. A spokesperson said
police. A spokesperson for Sen. hundreds of survivors and their
Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) said kin have already successfully
the documents link UBS and oth- filed claims.
UBS insists it is supporting ef-
er Swiss banks directly with the
trafficking of looted gold and forts to compensate Holocaust
victims and survivors.
money by the Nazis.
"Our general position is that
Since his actions came to light,
Mr. Meili has received death we'd like to be judged by our ac-
threats and hate mail, he told the tions today in going forward. We
committee this week. His testi- have put in place a number of ini-
mony led Sen. Abraham to co- tiatives. The Swiss have done a
sponsor a bill that would allow great deal in the last year to try
Mr. Meili and his family to emi- to make amends here," said UBS
spokesperson Dave Walker.
grate to the United States.
A company statement noted
Elan Steinberg, executive di-
rector of the World Jewish Con- that UBS backed the establish-
gress, remarked that although ment of an independent com-
UBS claims the shredding inci- mittee to oversee an audit of the
dent was accidental, Mr. Meili records of the Swiss banks for
has been fired, "and so far nobody dormant assets; that it "voiced
has been prosecuted at Union unequivocal support" for making
an exception to Swiss privacy
Bank."
Mr. Steinberg said UBS has a laws in publishing the names of
history that includes collusion account holders whose accounts
with the Nazis during the war. have been identified as dormant
Stories about Swiss duplicity since 1945; that UBS supported
with the Nazis during World War the Swiss government's forma-
II resurfaced at least a year ago tion of an historical commission
in the national press, after years to investigate Switzerland's deal-
of ongoing international investi- ings with the Nazis during the
gation. In 1945, the U.S. Trea- war; and that UBS contributed
sury reviewed the role Swiss 100 million Swiss francs ($70 mil-
banks played in helping Hitler lion) to a fund that will benefit
during World War II. A report, needy Holocaust victims and
recently declassified, said UBS their families. ❑
violated the Allied "code of con-
duct" by, among other things,
providing the Nazis with millions
Publicity Deadlines
of Swiss francs in 1944. The doc-
uments also show a pattern of
The normal deadline for local news
money laundering by UBS dur-
and publicity items is noon Thursday,
ing the same year.
eight days prior to issue date. The
"We don't know how much
deadline for out-of-town obituaries
UBS is holding. In terms of both
is 10 a.m. Tuesday, three days prior
dormant accounts — accounts of
to issue date.
Holocaust survivors — and the
All material must be typewritten,
holdings of looted assets (gold,
double-spaced, on 81 /2 x 11 paper and
etc.), we're talking in the billions
include the name and daytime tele-
of dollars range," Mr. Steinberg
phone number of sender.
said.
"We are not
advocating a
boycott of UBS
as of yet."
"40% of the food from food banks helps to nourish children"
The Food Bank of Oakland County pays only for the shipping of wholesome
but unmarketable food donated by the food industry. Each dollar you
contribute will provide 8 meals for a needy neighbor.
GIVE TO THE FOOD BANK OF OAKLAND COUNTY
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r .
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Please make checks payable to: Food Bank of Oakland County, P.O. Box 431385, Pontiac, MI 48343
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